gospel according to matthew the layman s bible commentary

7/29/2019 Gospel According to Matthew the Layman s Bible Commentary

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THE LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY


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THE LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARYIN TWENTY-FIVE VOLUMESVOLUME 1Introduction tothe BibleVOLUME 2GenesisCharles T. FritschVOLUME 3ExodusB. Davie NapierVOLUME 4Leviticus, NumbersJames L. MaysVOLUME 5Deuteronomy,JoshuaEdward P. BlairVOLUME 6Judges, Ruth,I and II SamuelEric C. RustVOLUME 7I and II Kings,I and n ChroniclesRobert C. DentanVOLUME 8Ezra, Nehemiah,Esther, JobVaLrner H. KellyVOLUME 9PsalmsArnold B. Rhodes

VOLUME 10Proverbs,Ecclesiastes,Song of Solomon/. Coert RylaarsdamVOLUME 11IsaiahG. Ernest WrightVOLUME 12Jeremiah,LamentationsHoward T. KuistVOLUME 13Ezekiel, DanielCarl G. HowieVOLUME 14Hosea, Joel, Amos,Obadiah, JonahJacob Af. MyersVOLUME 15Micah, Nahum,Habakkuk,Zephaniah, Haggai,Zechariah, MalachiJames H. GalleyVOLUME 16MatthewSuzanne de DietrichVOLUME 17MarkPaul S. Minear

VOLUME 18LukeDonald G. MillerVOLUME 19JohnFloyd V. FilsonVOLUME 20Acts of the ApostlesAlbert C. WinnVOLUME 21Romans,I and II CorinthiansKenneth J. ForemanVOLUME 22Galatians,Ephesians,Philippians,ColossiansArchibald M. HunterVOLUME 23I and II Thessalon-ians, I and II Tim-othy, Titus, Phile-monHolmes RolstonVOLUME 24Hebrews, James,I and n PeterJohn Wick BowmanVOLUME 25I, II, and HI John,Jude, RevelationJulian Price Love


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THE LAYMAN'SBIBLE COMMENTARY

Balmer EL Kelly, EditorDonald G. Miller Associate Editors Arnold B. Rhodes

Dwight M. Chalmers, Editor, John Knox Press

VOLUME 16THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TOMATTHEW

Suzanne de DietrichTranslated by Donald G. Miller

JOHN KNOX PRESSRICHMOND, VIRGINIA


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PREFACEThe LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY is based on the conviction

that the Bible has the Word of good news for the whole world.The Bible is not the property of a special group. It is not even theproperty and concern of the Church alone. It is given to theChurch for its own life but also to bring God's offer of life to allmankind wherever there are ears to hear and hearts to respond

It is this point of view which binds the separate parts of theLAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY into a unity. There are many vol-umes and many writers, coming from varied backgrounds, as isthe case with the Bible itself. But also as with the Bible there is aunity of purpose and of faith. The purpose is to clarify the situa-tions and language of the Bible that it may be more and morefully understood. The faith is that in the Bible there is essentiallyone Word, one message of salvation, one gospel.The LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY is designed to be a concise,non-technical guide for the layman in personal study of his ownBible. Therefore, no biblical text is printed along with the com-ment upon it The commentary will have done its work preciselyto the degree in which it moves its readers to take up the Bible forthemselves.The writers have used the Revised Standard Version of theBible as their basic text. Occasionally they have differed fromthis translation. Where this is the case they have given theirreasons. In the main, no attempt has been made either to justifythe wording of the Revised Standard Version or to compare itwith other translations.The objective in this commentary is to provide the most help-

ful explanation of fundamental matters in simple, up-to-dateterms. Exhaustive treatment of subjects has not been undertaken.In our age knowledge of the Bible is perilously low. At thesame time there are signs that many people are longing for help

in getting such knowledge. Knowledge of and about the Bible is,of course, not enough. The grace of God and the work of theHoly Spirit are essential to the renewal of life through the Scrip-,tures. It is in the happy confidence that the great hunger for theWord is a sign of God's grace already operating within men, andthat the Spirit works most wonderfully where the Word is famil-iarly known, that this commentary has been written and published.

^THE EDITORS AND*>THE PUBLISHERS


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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TOMATTHEWINTRODUCTION

"Good News""The Gospel according to Matthew" the simple title tells us

immediately that this book is concerned with "good news," forsuch is the meaning of the Greek word translated "Gospel."This good news concerns Jesus of Nazareth. The way in whichthe Apostles understood their task of preaching is admirably sum-marized in Acts 10:34-43. It was a question of a testimony, givenby men who had followed Jesus during his earthly ministry andwho had seen him again after his resurrection. They had heardhis word, they had seen him act They had recognized in him theMessiah announced by the prophets. The aim of their testimonywas to lead men to faith in Jesus, which accounts for the singularaccent put on his death, on the necessity of this death, and onthe Resurrection. Precisely because the Cross bad been a stone ofstumbling for the disciples themselves, because it remained "astumbling-block to Jews and folly to Gentiles," as Paul said (ICor. 1:23), the Passion occupies a central place in all of theGospels. From the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the Cross stoodon the horizon; one could even say it stood there from his in-fancy, for both Matthew and Luke give us from the very begin-ning a presentiment of the opposition of which it will be theclimax. And this opposition is not the result of an unfortunateconcourse of circumstances. It is because he is the Holy One ofGod that Jesus was rejected by men. Men could not endure thisPresence which judged and condemned them.But without knowing it men thus accomplished the fixed pur-pose of God. Everything that happened had been foretold by theScriptures. In his own Person, Jesus both announces and inau-gurates the Kingdom of God. He creates the New Community.He is the Suffering Servant, of whom the Book of Isaiah speaks,who dies, the just for the unjust. He is the conqueror of sin and


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8 MATTHEW: INTRODUCTIONdeath- He is the salvation of the nations. This is the common mes-sage of all the Gospels. This is what constitutes the good news,joyous news.

Distinguishing Features of the Gospel According toMatthewThe Gospel by Matthew was designed for readers of Jewish

origin. In all probability it was written in Palestine, perhaps inGalilee, or in Syria, This is to be seen hi a number of specialcharacteristics as well as in its general orientation.

1. Jewish customs are familiar to those to whom the Gospel isaddressed. These customs are not given the kind of explanationthat Mark sometimes felt himself obliged to give (compare Mark7:1-13 with Matt 15:1-9). Every Jew practiced ritual ablu-tions. He knew what a phylactery was and why tombs were white-washed (Matt. 23:5, 27). Matthew is careful to show that Jesusrespected the Law; he only condemned its deformations andabuses. Jesus wore fringes on his clothing as did all pious Jews(9:20; compare Num. 15:38). He paid the Temple tax (17:24-25). He exhorted his disciples to pray that the final catastrophewould not arrive on the Sabbath (24:20). On the other hand,since as Son of Man he announced and incarnated in his ownPerson the coming Kingdom, he was Lord of the Sabbath (12:8;see also 9:14-15); in that he was Son of God, he had the rightnot to pay the Temple tax (17:24-26).

Jesus insisted on the fact that those who observed the Lawought to observe it entire, even to its least commandments (5:17-20); but to the old Law he opposed a higher law, the law ofthe Kingdom, which demanded purity of heart and a love whichreflected that of the Father (5:21-48). Thus this Gospel affirmssimultaneously Jesus' respect for the ancient commandments inthat they were given by God, and his divine liberty as the Son whoinaugurated the New Age.

2. The charges of Jesus against the Pharisees involve twomajor points:They add to the commandments of God "the precepts of men,"and in so doing they are "blind guides, straining out a gnat and

swallowing a camel!" (15:9; 23:24).They "preach, but do not practice" (23:1-3). The insistenceon putting into practice the word which is heard is one of the


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MATTHEW: INTRODUCTION 9constant themes of this Gospel. For it is precisely this divergencebetween "saying" and "doing" which is the snare of "pious" peo-ple, their real hypocrisy. It was the sense of their own piety as"practicing" Jews (practicing in the ritual sense) which closed thePharisees against the message of Jesus, against all the propheticand therefore revolutionary elements of this message. The truedisciple is to be known by the fact that he "does" the will of God(6:10; 7:21; 12:49-50; 21:28-31).

3. Matthew makes a constant use of scriptural proofs; this is,one might say, the basis of his apologetics. True, all the Gospelsmake a similar use of the Scriptures. There is a continuity be-tween the old and the new revelation. But Matthew adorns hisGospel with references which seem sometimes a little forced tothe modern reader. It is without doubt necessary to see here arabbinic practice of that time; but above all one must grasp theintention and the spirit of it: Jesus revived and accomplished inhis Person the destiny of the Elect People. He is the promisedheir of David and of Abraham. He is the "King of the Jews" towhom the nations, represented by the Magi, render homage, andagainst whom hostile forces arise from the moment of his birth.It is in his royal capacity that he proclaims with a sovereign au-thority the coming of the Kingdom of God and the laws whichgovern that Kingdom. It is as King of Israel that he dies on thecross. It is as King and Judge that he will return at the last day"on the clouds of heaven" (24:30; 26:64; see Dan. 7:13-14), andthat, since his resurrection, all power has been given to him "inheaven and on earth" (28:18). The Old Testament citations aredesigned to prove to the reader that everything which happenedhad been foreseen, that absolutely nothing is left to chance, thatthe sovereign hand of God is on his Son from the beginning tothe end. Jesus is King, but an abased King who has voluntarilytaken the form of the Servant. He makes his own the destiny ofthe Suffering Servant of Isaiah. He has taken on himself ourdiseases (8:17); he was misunderstood and rejected by his con-temporaries; he submitted in silence to accusations and outrages(Isa. 53:7).According to the ancient prophecies, the great final gatheringwould commence with Israel and afterwards extend to the Gen-

tiles. Matthew is the only one who cites the words of Jesus whichshow that during his earthly ministry he expected to devote him-self first and exclusively to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel"


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10 MATTHEW: INTRODUCTION(10:5-6; 15:24). It is necessary to understand that this is a ques-tion of a priority in time. It is to the Elect People that the callto repentance and faith must first be addressed; it is from theirmidst that Jesus recruits the disciples who will constitute thenucleus of the new community. To attribute to Matthew any racialexclusivism whatsoever would be completely to distort the picture.His picture is certainly consistent with history. If Jesus was re-jected by his own people, it was not without his having doneeverything he could to rally them; proof of this are his words,"How often would I ... and you would not!" (23:37), and theseverity of his judgment on Bethsaida and Capernaum (11:20-24). If the first mission of the Twelve was reserved for Israel,the mandate to evangelize the Gentiles was explicitly entrusted tothem after the Resurrection, as is made clear by a number ofpassages (8: 10-13; 10:18; 22: 1-10; 24: 14). Here again is fulfilledthe prophecy of Isaiah: the Servant will be "a light to the na-tions" and his salvation will "reach to the end of the earth" (Isa.49:5-6).

4. Matthew has a distinctive preoccupation which might becalled "ecclesiastical.* Just as God gave to Moses on Mount Sinaithe charter of the Old Covenant the rule of life which shouldgovern the conduct of the Elect People so Jesus in the Sermonon the Mount promulgated the charter of the children of theKingdom. Matthew alone reports the mandate entrusted to Peterfor the constitution of the new community (16:17-19). Matthewalone gives the first lineaments of church discipline (18:15-20).

5. At the time when this Gospel was written, the Christiancommunities were experiencing persecution. Certain passageswithout doubt reflect this situation. The writer was concerned tofortify the faith of the Christians to remind them that Jesus hadforeseen these struggles and that he had foreseen the apostasy ofsome, the lukewarmness of others (5:11-12; 10:16-23; 24:9-13).What happened to Israel could happen to them also; they couldbe rejected in their turn. For this reason the writer reminds themwith insistence that "many that are first will be last, and the lastfirst" (19:30; 20:16).

The Structure of the GospelThe writer of the Gospel has composed his work with singular

care. Without doubt the words of Jesus and certain narratives


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MATTHEW: INTRODUCTION 11had already been grouped in the sources which he used. But anattentive study shows that there is here a more systematic planat least in certain of its parts than is the case with Mark orLuke. The teaching of Jesus is grouped in some "discourses," ofwhich each has a precise theme, and in most cases the narrativeswhich follow the discourses are a sort of concrete illustration ofthem.

Certain commentators have thought it possible to divide theGospel into five "books" which would make this Gospel the"Pentateuch" of the New Testament The present writer hesitatesto go this far. But Matthew in the structure of this Gospel is cer-tainly influenced by the Old Testament. The first chapters (1:14:22) are, in a manner, the "genesis" of the story whichunfolds itself before our eyes. There is here a double beginning:first, the birth of Jesus Christ, with his dual origin, both humanand divine (chs. 1 and 2); and second, the coming of the fore-runner who prepares for Jesus' ministry (ch. 3). Along withthe latter goes the story of the beginning of Jesus' own ministry(4:1-22).Verse 4:23 characterizes in a very general manner the ministryof Jesus. Such phrases are repeatedly found in the Gospel andserve as transitions between the different parts of the story; forexample, the words of 4:23 are found again in 9:35, These chap-ters, 4:23 9:34, show Jesus mighty in words and in deeds: heproclaims the Reign of God, and he concretely manifests thisReign by his healings and his miracles.Verses 9:35-38 introduce what could be called the second dis-course, setting forth the instructions given to the disciples be-fore they were sent out on their first mission (ch. 10) .Verse 11:1 is, again, very general. It serves as a hinge betweenthe second and third discourses, the latter, occasioned by thequestion of John the Baptist, being centered on the person andwork of John (11:2-19), and being followed by declarations ofJesus concerning his own mission (11:20-30). The oppositionwhich this mission incites is illustrated by a series of incidentswhich conclude with some severe words of Jesus against thePharisees (ch. 12).The first verses of chapter 13 introduce a fourth discourse ofJesus, in the form of parables (13:1-52).The series of stories in 13:53 16:12 has a less definite struc-ture. It follows the plan of the Gospel by Mark and ends with


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12 MATTHEW: INTRODUCTIONthe confession of Peter. This confession, in all the Gospels, marksa turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Beginning from this mo-ment, Jesus announces to his disciples his approaching end andtries to prepare them for it

Chapter 18 may be considered as a "fifth discourse," addressedto the disciples. It groups a series of counsels concerning the lifeof the New Community the future Church.

Chapters 19 and 20 follow once more the plan of Mark, butthe parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is inserted. Chapters21 and 22 tell of the entry into Jerusalem and the discussionswhich took place in the Temple between Jesus and the Pharisees.Chapter 23 is a discourse against the Pharisees, the most vio-lent Jesus pronounced. From this moment the rupture betweenhim and them is complete.Chapters 24 and 25 prepare the disciples for the final events

the end of the world, the return of the Son of Man in power andglory. They deal with the final accomplishment of the mission ofthe Son of God on the earth, the ultimate victory of God over alladverse forces. These discourses are at the same time both warn-ing and promise. The call to "watch" is, as it were, the theme in-troducing the story of the Passion, which takes up chapters 26and 27 and ends in chapter 28 with the proclamation of theResurrection and the mission command of the Risen One to hisApostles,

Authorship and DateThe traditional view, which still has some convinced represent-

atives in our time, is that our Gospel was the work of theApostle Matthew. This opinion is supported by the testimony ofBishop Papias in the second century: "Matthew set down inwriting, in the Hebrew language, some words of the Savior. Eachone translated them as he was able."

This view, however, runs up against serious objections. TheGospel is written in good Greek, and the references to the OldTestament follow the Greek translation rather than the originalHebrew. But above all, a close study of the first three Gospelsshows that behind our present Gospels are written sources, ofwhich one is our Gospel by Mark reproduced almost completelyby the other two, with some abbreviations and changes of styleand another is some collections of words of Jesus, a part of which


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MATTHEW: INTRODUCTION 13are found in both Matthew and Luke. It is difficult to believethat an Apostle would thus make use of a Gospel like that ofMark, which is the work of a disciple, not an Apostle, instead ofgiving his own personal recollections. On the other hand, Matthewhimself may have been the originator of one of the collections ofthe "words of Jesus" which had already circulated orally in theChurch, His Gospel gives special importance to the teaching ofJesus, as was seen in the study of its structure.

It was without doubt after the great persecutions by Nero andthe martyrdoms of Peter and Paul that the necessity of writingdown the most complete testimonies of the words and deeds ofJesus impressed itself upon the survivors of the first Christiangeneration. If, as is quite generally admitted, the Gospel byMark was written between A.D. 65 and 70, Matthew would havebeen written a little later, between A.D. 70 and 80. There cannever be absolute certainty about these questions. But is this reallycause for regret?The biblical writers never attached much importance to theperson of the authors. It was the Church which, later, insistedon the apostolic origin of the writings of the New Testament. Inreality, the Gospels, even as the other writings of the New Testa-ment, worked their way into the faith of the Church not becauseof then* authors but by their content The Church nourished her-self on their teachings; she recognized in them a


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14 MATTHEW: OUTLINE

OUTLINEThe Beginnings. Matthew 1:1 4:22

Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ (1:1 2:23)John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus (3 : 1-17)The Temptation and the Beginning of Jesus' Ministry (4: 1-22)The Proclamation of the Kingdom inWords and Acts. Matthew 4:23 9:35The Announcement of the New Age (4:23-25)The Charter of the New Age (5:1 7:29)The Kingdom of God Manifested in Acts (8:1 9:35)

Continuation of the Galilean Ministry:Four Discourses. Matthew 9:36 16:12The Mission of the Twelve (9:36 11:1)Discourse Concerning John the Baptist (11:2-30)Discussions with the Pharisees (12:1-50)Parables of the Kingdom (13:1-52)New Conflicts and New Miracles (13:53 16:12)The Way to the Passion. Matthew 16:13 23:39Who Is Jesus? (16:1317:27)The New Community (18:1-35)On the Way Toward Jerusalem (19:1 20:34)The Triumphal Entry (21:1-22)Controversies with the Chief Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees(21:2322:46)The Pharisees Judged by Jesus (23:1-39)The Accomplishment. Matthew 24:1 28:20Discourse on the End of the Age (24:1-41)"Watch Therefore" (24:4225:46)The Passion (26:127:66)The Resurrection (28:1-20)


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MATTHEW 1:1-17 15

COMMENTARYTHE BEGINNINGS

Matthew 1:1 4:22One question would naturally arise for the Jewish readers towhom this Gospel was addressed: Who is Jesus? Whose son is he?Before approaching the ministry of Jesus, Matthew first makesanswer to this preliminary question. He sets out to demonstrate,

on the basis of the Old Testament, that Jesus is indeed the legiti-mate heir of David and of Abraham. He shows that God himselfhas prepared his coming and guided his history from the very firstmoment, as he had guided the history of his people across thecenturies.

Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ (1:12:23)Genealogy of Jesus Christ (1:1-17)The modern reader is not much interested in the genealogieswhich adorn the Old Testament. He willingly passes them by with-out stopping. The Jews, however, jealously preserved their family

records. They were the proof that they belonged to the ElectPeople. The genealogies which are found in the Bible have atheological significance: they underline the continuity of the pur-pose of God through history. The genealogy of Jesus announcesthe fact that the One with whom this book is concerned is theheir of all the promises made to the fathers; in other words, heis indeed the promised Messiah.The simple designation "Jesus Christ" is in itself a confessionof faith: Jesus (Joshua) signifies "the LORD is salvation.""Christ" is the translation of the Hebrew word for "Messiah,"which means "Anointed One." The ancient kings of Israel wereconsecrated by an anointing with oil.Each of these words has a history. The first, "Joshua," wasthe name of the man chosen by God to lead Israel to the Prom-ised Land. He was a sign of the "Savior" to come, as the Prom-ised Land was a material sign of the Kingdom of God (see Heb.chs. 3 and 4) . This time it is no longer a question of snatching


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16 MATTHEW 1:18-25Israel from the slavery in Egypt, but of saving Israel from hersins (1:21). The term ''Christ" gathered up all the Messianichopes of the Old Testament. The prophets had announced theglorious coming of the "Son of David," and of a kingdom whichwould have no end, bringing peace and justice on the earth (IISam. 7:12-13; Isa, 2:1-5; Jer. 23:5-6). The term "Christ," then,means nothing less than the coming of the promised King.The words, "The book of the genealogy of . . ." ( 1 : 1) , repro-duce literally (in Greek) the words of Genesis 5:1. Here is anew "genesis," a new beginning. The evangelist divides the historyof the People of God into three periods. The number 14 (2 X 7)is the symbol of plenitude, of something complete. The first periodgoes from the call of Abraham to the apogee of royalty underDavid; the second extends from the beginning of the kingship tothe abasement and humiliation of the Babylonian Exile; the thirdmoves from the return from exile to the birth of Jesus, a periodduring which a faithful remnant maintained and transmitted thefaith of the fathers. Thus the plan of God sovereignly unfoldsfrom epoch to epoch up to the hour of its fulfillmentSome women are mentioned in the course of this long enumera-tion, and they are not those whom one would expect, such asSarah, Rebecca, Rachel; but Tamar (Gen. ch. 38), Rahab(Joshua 2:1-24; 6:22-25), Ruth (the Book of Ruth), Bathsheba,the wife of Uriah (H Sam. 11:1 12:25). What has motivatedthe inclusion of these? Each of these women either had kept theCovenant or had entered into the Covenant by an act of faith.But their names remind us also that the Covenant is a Covenantof grace. This long line of ancestors is not a line of moral saintsbut of forgiven sinners, through whom the faithfulness of God isever and again manifested anew. It is certainly intentionally thatMatthew mentions Rahab the prostitute, and Ruth the Moabitess.In opening the Kingdom to prostitutes and pagans, Jesus coulddeclare himself the bearer of the divine initiative to which theOld Testament testifies.

In conformity with Jewish custom, Matthew does not give thegenealogy of the mother but that of the father, even though Jo-seph was father only by adoption. In Jewish law, adoption con-ferred the same status as biological kinship.Birth of Jesus Christ (1:18-25)We stand here before the mystery of the Incarnation. To say


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MATTHEW 2:1-12 17that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born ofthe Virgin Mary is at the very least to affirm his double sonshipdivine and human.

While the Gospel by Luke centers on the annunciation to Maryand on the humble faith and submission of the Virgin, Matthew'sstory is centered on Joseph, for it is through him that the kinshipto David was passed. The fact that Jesus had been conceived bythe Holy Spirit before Mary had known her betrothed exposedher to the suspicion of adultery. Joseph, we are told, was a "just"man, that is to say, upright and good. He wishes neither to excusenor to reproach the one who has betrayed him. He determines tobreak off with her secretly. An angel of the Lord reveals the truthto him in a dream. The evangelist thus underscores the fact thatit is on a direct order from God that Joseph accepts Jesus as hislegitimate son, thus recognizing him as belonging to the Davidicsuccession. It is noteworthy that this succession never seems tohave been contested (see Mark 10:47-48; Rom. 1:3).

It was the prerogative of the father to name a child. In thebiblical tradition, a name defines or characterizes a person. Inprescribing the name of Jesus, God revealed his mission: "Hewill save his people from their sins*' (1:21). Thus the redemptiverole of the Messiah is affirmed from the very first. He will savehis people, not from Roman domination, as many hoped, but"from their sins." In him is granted the hope of the centuries: Godhimself descends among men and comes to dwell on the earth.Jesus is "Emmanu-el," "God with us" (1:23). Whatever mayhave been the immediate historic meaning of the prophecy ofIsaiah (Isa. 7:14), Matthew sees hi the birth of Jesus its trueaccomplishment.This first chapter of the Gospel is already a complete professionof faith: Jesus, Son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of God, isthe promised Messiah, the Savior, "God with us.*'The Adoration o the Magi (2:1-12)The prophecies of the Old Testament do not limit the mission

of the Savior to the Jewish people alone. He will be "a lightto the nations" (Isa, 42:6; 49:6). "Kings shall see and arise;princes, and they shall prostrate themselves" (Isa. 49:7). Thestory of the adoration of the Wise Men from the East has thereforea symbolic meaning. A day will come when the East and the Westwill bow before the King of the Jews who is today ignored and


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18 MATTHEW 2:13-23forgotten, and they will 6ebring their glory" to him (see Rev.21:24-26).

Thus, right from the beginning, after having underlined thefact that the mission of Jesus was first to his own people (1 :21),the evangelist indicates the universal character of his salvation.And astrology is the means which God used to conduct the WiseMen to the crib of Jesus! Their offering and then: adoration are,as it were, the announcement that one day all the treasures of theOrient will be laid at the feet of the King of kings. They are alsoa reminder that the essence of all Christian worship is adorationand offering offering of ourselves and of our most precious pos-sessions.In the ancient liturgies of the Church, this first "manifestation"of the glory of the Christ was celebrated on a special day, thefeast of Epiphany (the 6th of January).The episode relating to King Herod shows Jesus as the objectof the hostility of the powers of this world from his very birth.But the hand of God was on the infant Jesus as it was ever on theinfant Moses. The purpose of God is accomplished in spite ofmen. God thwarts the plans of the enemy (see Exod. 2:1-10).The fact that Jesus was born at Bethlehem is the occasion forthe evangelist to recall the prophecy of Micah (Micah 5:2).Everything takes place as had been anticipated. Addressing him-self to the Jews, Matthew makes scriptural evidence the cor-nerstone of his testimony. We are less sensitive today to thistype of argument. Nevertheless, it is very important to rememberthat for the entire Apostolic Church the relation of the old reve-lation to the new was the relation of promise to fulfillment. Thatis why the New Testament and the Old form an inseparablewhole.The Flight Into Egypt (2:13-23)The hostility of Herod has not subsided. Usurper of the Jew-

ish throne, he dreads even the shadow of a rival, and his feardraws back from no cruelty.Dreams play a large role in the story of Joseph as in that ofthe patriarch Joseph. God warns Joseph of the danger which pur-sues the child, and Joseph once more obeys without hesitating:he leaves for Egypt.Egypt, many a time in the history of Israel, had been a landof refuge. Abraham, and later Jacob and his sons, descended


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MATTHEW 2:13-23 19there in time of famine. Others had fled there from persecution(I Kings 12:2). At the same time, however, Egypt was a landof exile and slavery, and the reminder of a miraculous deliver-ance. Jesus is here shown, after a fashion, recapitulating in hisown life the experience of his people. He also, from his earliestinfancy, knows flight across the desert and is exiled until the all-powerful hand of God leads him back "to the land of Israel" (2:21). This is what permits the evangelist to apply to him thewords of Hosea: "Out of Egypt have I called my son" (2:15; seeHosea 11:1).Did God truly allow so many innocent children to be massa-cred? (vss. 16-18). This question immediately poses itself tomodern minds. Matthew does not raise it He knows that thehistory of the People of God is all strewn with blood and tears.The prophets also recognized this* The rage of man is unfurledupon the Elect of God. Once again in history, the mothers inIsrael weep for their children and refuse to be comforted (seeJer. 31 : 15). Our own time has seen massacres equally shameless.The testimony of the evangelist is that God nonetheless pursueshis purpose of salvation.Herod is dead. He has divided his kingdom among his threesons, giving Judea and Samaria to Archelaus, Archelaus will behated on account of his exactions, and will be dismissed by Romein the year A.D. 6 and replaced by a Roman procurator. HerodAntipas inherits Galilee and Perea, He will be met again in theGospel story. Finally, Philip, a peaceful man, inherits the territorysituated to the northeast of Lake Tiberias. It is to this regionthat Jesus will occasionally retire.A double dream reveals to Joseph that he should return to Pal-estine, but should settle in Nazareth, That is why, Matthew infers,

Jesus wfll be called "a Nazarene" (2:23). This statement, whichclaims to rest on a prophecy, has intrigued interpreters in everyage without any positive solution being discovered, since the al-lusion is obscure. The term "Nazarene** is never used in theOld Testament. Some (Calvin, for example) see in this word aderivation from a Hebrew word of similar sound meaning "toseparate," "to consecrate.** Other interpreters think of anothersimilar word meaning "a shoot** (Isa. 11:1). According to thisview, on the apparently dead stump of Jesse a shoot has sproutedwhich carries in it the future of the world.

Matthew reacted, no doubt, against the fact that the Nazareth


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20 MATTHEW 3:1-12origin of Jesus was a cause of contempt. Perhaps also the dis-ciples of Jesus were sometimes confused with the sect of theNazirites (see Num. 6). The Gospel underlines the fact thatJesus* rearing at Nazareth corresponded to a fixed purpose ofGod (Matt 26:71-73; see also Luke 18:37; Acts 24:5).The major impression carried away from these stories of Jesus'infancy is of the hand of God on all the events surrounding it.Striking also is the obscurity in which Jesus lives, for he willbe met witfy again only at the threshold of his public ministry,about thirty years later.

John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus (3:1-17)John the Baptist (3:1-12)The Gospel passes without transition from the infancy of Jesus

to another "beginning": the sudden appearance of the messengerwho prepared for the coming of the Savior. Our translationssomewhat weaken the abrupt character of this entering into anew subject John the Baptist speaks with the authority of theancient prophets whose voice had been silent for centuries. Heannounces the Day of the Lord, the end of the age, the inbreak-ing of the Kingdom which will be both grace and judgment. ForJohn the Baptist, as for the former prophets of repentance, theDay of the Lord is great and dreadful (see Amos 5: 18-20; Mai.4:1-6). To prepare for it, nothing less would do than a radicalchange, a conversion of the heartBut for those who repent and believe, this news is great andgood news. This is what the quotation from Isaiah indicates. In-deed, the passage announces the coming of the King who comesto comfort his people and to deliver them from their sins (Isa.40:1-5). John, the writer tells us, is the voice of the herald whoopens the way for the King nothing more, nothing less. Thedress of John, as his message, called to mind the figure of theprophet Elijah, about whom there was a tradition that he wouldprecede the Messiah (Mai. 4:5; see Matt 17:10-13).The people came to John from Jerusalem and all Judea to bebaptized. Baptism was no new thing for the Jews. They practicedritual ablutions. They probably baptized pagan converts, thebaptism symbolizing that the old man was "drowned" along withhis sin, and born to a new life. But John demanded this mark ofradical repentance of all. And it was to be accompanied by the


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MATTHEW 3:1-12 21confession of sins. This obliged men to see themselves 35 theywere before God and to acknowledge their faults, the acknowl-edgment being in itself a deliverance (see Ps. 32:1-5).

People flocked to this powerful preacher. But he was withoutany illusions about his success, for he read their hearts. Certainlythere were among those who came to him sincere men who wereweighed down by their sin and whose repentance was genuine.Jesus later recruited from among them his first disciples (John1:35-42). But when the Pharisees and the Sadducees came ingreat numbers, the anger of the Baptist suddenly exploded. Helabeled them a "brood of vipers.** Why this severe judgment?Who are these men? Since they will be met again and againthroughout the Gospel it is worth while to stop here for an answer."Pharisee" means "separate one.'* At a time when many of theJews were neglecting the Law, the Pharisees had separated them-selves from the others in order to remain faithful to the com-mandments of God. There was, then, at the origin of Pharisaisma very positive determination to obey the Lord. The Phariseesobserved the Sabbath with extreme strictness. They carefully ab-stained from all impure contact. They multiplied rules, evermore complicated, which they considered necessary to salvation.They were, in other words, very pious laymen. But there hap-pened to them what happens so often to sects in every age theycame to believe that they were the only guardians of the truth,the only "righteous" ones. They looked upon others from theheight of their own piety, but Jesus reproached them for havingpassed by the greatest commandment: love. This is not to saythat there were not among them some men of sincere piety. Al-though John the Baptist, and later Jesus, spoke to them severely,it was because their lives belied their teaching, and that havingreceived much they were more responsible than others.The case of the Sadducees was different To them was entrustedthe keeping of the Temple at Jerusalem and ecclesiastical govern-ment. The origin of the name "Sadducees" likely goes back toZadok, a priest in the time of David. In order to keep theirpriestly privileges, the Sadducees were forced to conciliate theRoman authorities. They were, above all, "politicians/* anxiousover their prestige.In the eyes of John, the gesture made by these men coming tobe baptized by him was only a sham repentance. As serpentsleave their holes and flee at the approach of fire, so these men


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I MATTHEW 3:13-17Sieved that they could by this gesture escape the coming judg-Lent This achieved nothing. True repentance is recognized by itsuits. They were not children of Abraham but children of thetevil (see a similar judgment of Jesus in John 8:44). It is notifficient to have glorious ancestors: "God is able from theseones to raise up children to Abraham." The tree of Israel has:any a time been pruned. This time the ax blows would be laid: the very root Everything that does not bear fruit will be castto the fire (see Matt 7:18-19). This is a grave warning, which,rough Israel, is addressed to "religious" men of all tunes, putting; all on our guard against our facile religiosity, our self-right->usness, our false securities.John knows himself to be, and wishes to be, only a forerunner.e can only call to repentance. He is not even worthy to renderthe One coming after him the ordinary service of a slave; henot worthy to carry his sandals. In veiled terms, John thusmounces the arrival of the Messiah whose baptism will be

ith the Spirit and with fire (vs. 11; Mai. 3:1-3; Isa. 11:1-5). Heone is qualified to beat out the grain on his threshing floor andparate the wheat from the chaff.The justice and the holiness of God are a consuming firehich destroys and purifies: ". . . who can endure the day of his>ming ...?** (MaL 3:2). Only those who have recognized theavity of this will understand why the gospel of Jesus is "goodws," the way of salvation-tie Baptism of Jesus (3:13-17)The translation of verse 13 does not reflect the present tensethe word "come" which seems to be used to underline the un-pectedness of this event. Matthew is the only one of the evan-lists who notes John's disturbance over Jesus' coming. This manGod discerns in the one who conies to him, if not the Messiahee Matt 11:3), at least one before whom he, John, is an un->rthy sinner, John was not the only one to be astonished byis. Indeed, Christians in all times have posed the question: Ifsus is without sin, as the New Testament affirms (Heb. 4:15;Peter 2:22; H Cor. 5:21; I John 3:5), why did he request bap-m for the remission of sins?The response of Jesus is enigmatic: ". . . it is fitting for us toIfil all righteousness [or all that which is righteous]." The right-usness of God, in the Old Testament, is his fidelity to the Cove-


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MATTHEW 4:1-11 23nant which he had made with his people. It was his holy will tmaintain or to re-establish right relations between him and hispeople. Here it is simply indicated that Jesus* baptism was willedby God and conformed to his order. It is only later that the pro-found meaning of this act may be grasped that by this act Jesusidentified himself with his people, took on himself their guilt, andreceived with and for them the baptism of repentance. The Mes-sianic meaning of this act is to be seen from the rest of the story.The heavens opened at the moment when Jesus came up outof the water. The Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove.The significance of the dove is not very clear. Is it a symbol ofpurity? Or of divine life?God himself makes his voice heard, proclaiming that the onebaptized with water and with the Spirit is his beloved Son, Thisword calls to mind both Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1-4; that is, itbrings together the King-Messiah and the Suffering Servant Godglorifies his Son in the very moment when he, in self-humiliation,makes the shame of humanity his own. It is significant that thisvoice is heard a second time in the course of Jesus* ministry,and that it happens at the scene of the Transfiguration, whichimmediately follows the announcement of his suffering (Matt.17:5) . Thus are revealed at one and the same time the Messianiccharacter of the mission of Jesus and the form which his vocationwill take not that of a glorious Messiah, but that of the sufferingand humiliated Servant. It is this Servant whom God "glorifies"at the very moment of his humiliation by declaring him his be-loved Son.The Temptation and the Beginning of Jesus' Ministry

(4:1-22)The Temptation of Jesus (4:1-11)

It is the Spirit who leads Jesus into the wilderness "to betempted by the devil." At first sight this appears strange: Godexposing his Son to the blows of Satan. But is it not to battle theone whom John calls "the prince of this world" that the Son cameto earth? The struggle of Jesus cannot be fully understood if wedo not believe, with the Bible, in the objective reality of an evilpower at work in the world, a power which from the first hour tipto the very end seeks to defeat God.The temptation of Jesus is closely related to his Messianic vo-


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MATTHEW 4:1-11 25ery of those who watched him die (Matt 27:39-44). His totalcommitment into the hands of his Father will be considered onlyweakness, impotence, and defeat in the eyes of the world. But inthis way he became the authentic brother of all the famished, ofall the rejected of the world. It is because he has been made oneof them, because he has completely assumed their sin and theirmisery, that he will be all-powerful to deliver them (see 8:17).Thus truly will he one day be able to say that nourishment givenor refused to a hungry person is given or refused to him (25:31-46).

Jesus knows that God keeps him, but not in the manner in-tended by Satan. The second temptation reminds us that Scripture,depending on how one uses it, may be either the instrument ofGod or the instrument of Satan. This also is a warning to us. Totry to force God to reveal himself by some spectacular act is notthe language of faith but of unbelief and impatience (see Deut.6:16; also Exod. 17:1-7). This is to "tempt God." When thePharisees later demand signs from Jesus, signs which would beproof of his Messiahship, they will be refused (Mark 8:12; seeMatt, 16:1-4). God reveals himself in his own. time, and in amanner which pleases him. The way of the Servant is the way ofsimple, plain obedience to the revealed Word. Jesus knows,through the example of the prophets, that this way will not nec-essarily lead to success, but more often will lead to suffering anddeath,The last temptation is again a question of a radical submission

to the living God. Jesus refers to the first commandment, theone which pious Jews recite every day (Deut 6: 13). The enemyhas unmasked himself. The real issue throughout this dialoguehas been a choice between two masters. Jesus' reply is severe:"Begone, Satan!"

Bread, miracles, power are not these what false messiahs inevery age offer to the credulity of the crowds? The temptationssummed up in this story will be met by Jesus throughout hiscareer: when the crowds see in him only a healer (Mark 1:35-39) ; when they want to make him king (John 6:14-15); whenhis own disciples reject with horror the prediction of the Cross(Matt 16:21-23).

This solitary struggle, this initial encounter with the adver-sary, is as it were the first stage of the ministry which is tofollow. One cannot "enter a strong man's house and plunder his


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26 MATTHEW 4:12-22goods," said Jesus, "unless he first binds the strong man" (12:29).But there is more here: the story of the temptation givesthe counterpart to the fall of the first man (Gen. 3). In contrastto the persistent sin of man who desires to make himself God,is set the attitude of the Son of God who freely chooses the wayof service and thus calls into being a new humanity whose purposewill no longer be to dominate but to serve (Mark 10:43-45).The Beginning of the Ministry of Jesus (4:12-22)The ministry of the forerunner is completed; that of the Mes-

siah begins. Herod has thrown John into prison. The reasons willbe given later (14:3-4). Jesus leaves the banks of the Jordan andwithdraws to the north of Galilee, to the shores of the Lake ofTiberias. This territory belonged in olden times to the tribes ofZebulun and Naphtali. Invaded and annexed by Assyria at thesame time as the entire Kingdom of Israel (the eighth centuryB.C.), it had been from that time on paganized. It was this Israel,which "sat in darkness" for more than seven centuries, on whom,as the prophecy of Isaiah indicated, the light of the Savior wasto arise (Isa. 9:1-2). This quotation, as used by the evangelist,is a confession of Messianic faith: the light of the new worldrises on "Galilee of the Gentiles.'* And this light is none otherthan Jesus the Messiah.The King coming in his Kingdom takes up the proclamation

of the herald who had preceded him: "Repent, for the kingdom ofheaven is at hand" (see 3:2). The difference is not in the mes-sage but in the one who proclaims it: the future becomes a pres-ent. In the Person of Jesus the Kingdom of God has broken intothe world. This is God's "today." When God speaks, no delay ispermitted.

This is magnificently attested in the call of the first disciples.At a single word of the Master, they leave everything their busi-ness, their family (see 19:27). They no doubt already knew Jesus(John 1:35-43); but in the eyes of the evangelist this detail isnot important, for the whole force of the call resides in the au-thority of the one who calls.The figure employed by Jesus is impressive: It is no longer aquestion of taking fish from the lake, but of drawing men up outof the abyss of sin and death, catching them in the great net ofGod!And these simple men obey without discussion. First they are


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MATTHEW 4:23-25 27two, then four: "Immediately they left . . . and followed him"(4:20-22). This "immediately" characterizes, for all time, theobedience of faith.

THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM INWORDS AND ACTSMatthew 4:23 9:35

The Announcement of the New Age (4:23-25)Verses 23-25 of chapter 4 summarize in a few bold strokes the

ministry which is going to be described in the following chapters:it is a proclamation of the New Age in words (chs. 5-7) and inacts (chs. 8-9). The formula of introduction in 4:23 is foundagain in 9:35: Jesus teaches, proclaims the good news, and heals.Any qualified Jewish man attending the worship of a syna-gogue was permitted to read and comment on a passage of Scrip-ture. He stood up to read and sat down to teach (see 5:1-2;13:1-2). Jesus conformed to this custom, as did the Apostle Paullater. He went about the country and taught hi the synagogues(4:23; 9:35; Luke 4:16-20; see Acts 13:14-16; 14:1). But hetaught also in the open ah*. He preached the good news. TheGreek word suggests rather a proclamation, such as that of aherald who speaks in the name of the king. And this joyous newsis no other th?n the coming of the Reign of God. And it im-mediately translates itself into acts; each healing is a sign of thisKingdom which comes a victory over sickness, sin, and death.The fame of Jesus, we are told, extends "throughout all Syria.*5If the editing of the Gospel took place later than the year A.D.70 (see Introduction), this expression is more easily understood;for beginning from that time, the Roman province of Syria in-cluded Palestine. Verse 25 makes clear that the crowds whofollowed Jesus came not only from Galilee but also from De-capolis on the east of the Lake of Tiberias, from Jerusalem, andfrom the whole of Judea.The crowds flocked to this prophet, this rabbi who spokewith "authority" (7:28-29; see Mark 1:22), who not only an-nounced deliverance but delivered (Mark 1:27). Here was in-deed, the evangelist tells us, good news; the dawn of the Mes-


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28 MATTHEW 5:1-12sianic Age had broken. It is in this sense that the teaching whichfollows must be understood: it is inseparable from the Person ofthe one who gives it.

The Charter of the New Age (5:1 7:29)These chapters are customarily called 'The Sermon on theMount." They rather contain a series of discourses, or fragments

of discourses, and some detached words which the evangelist hasgrouped here. Jesus, the new Moses, promulgates the new law forthe children of the Kingdom. He goes up on "the mountain,"doubtless one of the hills surrounding the Lake of Tiberias. Thisindication, even as the structure of chapter 5, which, at severalpoints reflects the Decalogue, is an undeniable reminder of theLaw of Sinai. The introductory words have a peculiar solemnity.Jesus goes up the mountain, seats himself, opens his mouth, andteaches. His disciples surround him, but this does not exclude thepresence of the crowds.The Beatitudes (5:1-12; see Luke 6:20-26)A comparison of the parallel texts shows us that in Luke thesewords are clothed in direct form. They are briefer, more incisive,and the four beatitudes of Luke have their counterpart in the four-fold "woe to you," omitted by Matthew. We are, then, in thepresence of two different versions, and it is likely that Luke's isthe more primitive. Matthew does not change the meaning butmakes it more explicit.

"Blessed [or happy] are the poor in spirit." The term "poor"has a double meaning in the biblical tradition. It means bothpoverty and humility. The poor in Israel are those who, both lit-erally and figuratively, have nothing and hope only in God. "Poorin spirit" means those who have the spirit of poverty and of hu-mility (seelsa. 57:15).The saying, ". . . theirs is the kingdom of heaven," is a simpleaffirmation that the children of the Kingdom are the "poor" whocome to God with empty hands. For them the coining of theMessianic Era is truly "good news," the long-awaited deliverance.The second Beatitude must be understood in a similar sense(vs. 4). It is a reminder of the Messianic promise: "The LORD hasanointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted ... to comfortall who mourn" (Isa. 61:1-2). An era of joy is opened in this


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MATTHEW 5:1-12 29world for all the oppressed and the suffering, because Jesus ishere.The third Beatitude (vs. 5) also expresses a reversal of things.In the world which we know, power belongs to the strong, to theviolent It is they who "succeed." It is they who "possess theearth." But in the Kingdom, the earth will belong to the humble,to the peaceful, to the "children," to those who put their confi-dence in God, to those who let themselves be despoiled withoutbitterness and without anger (see Ps. 37:5-11).The Messianic Era will be a time when righteousness shallreign on a renewed earth (vs. 6). This was the hope and theconstant expectation of the prophets. It was at the same time amatter of the righteousness of God, of his fidelity and his truthilluminating and saving men, and of righteousness in human re-lations. It is this "righteousness" which characterizes the Mes-sianic King (Isa. 11:5; see 42:1-4; Ps. 72:1-15). Blessed, saidJesus, are those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness, forit will be revealed at the Last Day.The first four Beatitudes describe men who wait for the King-dom of God with the intense nostalgia of those for whom God istheir only hope and stay. And Jesus, in his sovereign authority,assigns the Kingdom to them. He speaks in his capacity as King,who has come to inaugurate the Messianic Age. He is the mes-senger of joy and comfort, the foretold King of righteousness.But he is also the one who has chosen the way of poverty forhimself, who will submit to the injustice of men. He is the masterwho is "gentle and lowly in heart" (11:29; see 21:5). Thus theChurch, in reciting the Beatitudes, meditates on the Lord who hasboth proclaimed and lived them. But at the time when he pro-nounced them, the meaning of his words was still veiled, as washis Messiahship.The four Beatitudes that follow have a character somewhat dif-ferent from the earlier ones. They deal not so much with a wantwhich is to be filled as with an attitude. Here we are speakingdeliberately of an attitude, not of a virtue.The first of these (vs. 7) relates to the judgment of God. Beforethe tribunal of the Most High and the Most Holy, man can hopeonly for his pity and his pardon. But how can one who does notpardon, who does not exercise mercy toward his neighbor, antici-pate the pardon of God? Jesus later repeats this warning severaltimes (6:12, 14-15; 18:21-35; see also James 2:13). It is God's


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30 MATTHEW 5:1-12nature to be merciful. Consequently, he who exercises mercy isblessed; he thereby shows himself to be a son of his Father inheaven (Luke 6:35-36). He bears the stamp of his Father.

Purity of heart (vs. 8) is essentially "integrity" or "honesty"of heart, as is set forth in the Psalms (Pss. 24:3-4; 51:10), sin-cerity of intentions and attitudes, truth, transparency of beingall of which translate themselves into words (5:37) and acts (7:21-23). Only the one who is "true" in this profound sense canface the judgment. He comes to the light (John 3:20-21), andthis light will one day be revealed to him in all its fullness (I Cor.13: 12; I John 3:2).Verse 9 speaks of "the peacemakers." The word "peace" in theOld Testament expresses health, well-being, harmony, the return

to unity of that which has been divided and torn asunder. Thelonging for peace is so profoundly anchored in the heart of hu-manity that it has always looked forward to a world where peacewould reign among men. In the Bible this hope is often associatedwith the coming of the Messiah. He is the "Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6). A humanity reconciled with God will know peace (Isa.57:18-19; 60:17). In the New Testament, this reconciliation isthe work of Jesus Christ He is "our peace" (Eph. 2:13-14).The term "son of God" is applied in the Old Testament to Is-rael (see Hosea 11:1). Jesus used it on several occasions as ap-plying to the believing individual (see Matt. 5:45-48). God, at theLast Judgment, will recognize as his "sons" those who belong tohim (Rev. 21:7; see Rom. 8:13-14, 19, 23).God is a God of peace. Those who, here below, are the instru-ments of peace among men, and between God and men, bear thestamp of their Father.The next Beatitude (vs. 10) deals once more with demeanoror attitude. The righteousness of God is to be seen hi his faith-fulness to the Covenant which he has made with his people. The"righteousness" of the believer is to be seen hi his fidelity to God,in his obedience unto death, hi his willingness to do battle withunrighteousness in all of its forms. By such fidelity he exposeshimself to the misunderstanding and the persecution of men. TheOld Testament had already testified to the fact that the destiny ofthe "righteous" is to suffer, and the figure of the Servant pro-claims the One who will redeem the world by his sufferings (Isa.52:1353:12).The first eight Beatitudes form a unity: they must be under-


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MATTHEW 5:1-12 31stood as a Messianic proclamation. Only the One whom God in-stalls as Judge and King of the world can open the Kingdom. Andhe opens it to the humble, to the "nobodies"; to those who hopeonly in God; to those who hunger and thirst for "righteousness"and are ready to suffer for it; to those who, having hoped only inthe mercy of God, have their hearts open to the pain of others;to the workers of righteousness and peace.He who spoke in this fashion is himself the incarnation of thisrighteousness and this love. The teaching of Jesus Christ is in-separable from his Person. It is on his Person that the authorityof his word rests. It is because he is present, because in him allthe promises of God have been fulfilled, that the Beatitudes area message of joy. Apart from him, from the righteousness andpeace of which he is the guarantor, they could be only our con-demnation.

This is likewise true of the ninth Beatitude (vss. 11-12), whichis actually a development of the eighth. This development per-haps reflects the -experience of the first Christian generation. Per-secution is seen as a normal consequence of the vocation of dis-cipleship to Jesus. Blessed is the one who is persecuted becauseof his fidelity to his Lord accused unjustly for love of him (theword "falsely" does not exist in all manuscripts, and is perhapsa later addition) . He undergoes the lot of the prophets. The Apos-tolic Church in its preaching frequently came back to this themeof the necessity for suffering on the part of those who do battlefor the cause of Christ To suffer for him, or because of him, isaprivilege (Phil. 1:29; 2:17-18; I Peter 1:3-9; 2:20-24; 4:12-14).Jesus himself, on several occasions, prepared his disciples for thesestruggles (see, for example, the parallel account of this passagein Luke 6:22-23; see also Matt 10:16-25).The Beatitudes proclaim a magnificent reversal of our humanmanner of measuring people and things. It is those whom theworld judges "wretched" whom Jesus proclaims blessed. It is thosewhom the world calls "happy" the rich, the powerful, those who"succeed,'* those who know how to gain the esteem of all ofwhom Jesus pronounces the final destitution (Luke 6:24-26). Onemay be "rich" in the eyes of the world, yet poor and empty beforeGod; or "poor" in the eyes of the world, yet rich toward God. TheGospel by Luke expresses this paradox in all its force, whileMatthew spiritualizes it (poor "in spirit"), omitting the contrastwith the rich. But the profound judgment uttered by Jesus is the


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32 MATTHEW 5:13-1same in both Gospels: it is to those who know themselves poor brsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you" (II Chron. 24:20). Theiouse" which is "forsaken and desolate" may designate theemple or the city, or it may refer symbolically to the entireDuntry.This discourse nevertheless concludes on a positive note (vs.

9): Jerusalem will see her rejected King again when he comesi his glory. All will acclaim him on that day as the One senty the Lord. The words are the same as those used at the Tri-cnphal Entry (21:9).

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTMatthew 24:1 28:20

The final conversations of Jesus with his disciples deal withae end of the world and his return in glory. Thus the Lord warnsnd fortifies his own before his Passion and turns their gaze to-


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122 MATTHEW 24:1-14ward the New Age when, having participated in his strugglesand sufferings, they will participate in his glory.

Discourse on the End of the Age (24:1-41)The Destruction of the Temple (24:1-2)The Temple, begun by Herod the Great forty-six years earlier

(see John 2:20), was of impressive dimensions, and the disciplesdo not hide their admiration of it. The words of Jesus must havestruck them with a shock. The days of this glorious edifice arenumbered and all its glory is only vanity!These words of Jesus echo those of the prophets (Micah 3:9-12; Jer. 7:4, 12-15; 26:4-6, 17-19). The first Temple had been,in fact, destroyed in 587 B.C., but that judgment was remote andforgotten. The judgment declared by Jesus is considered as ablasphemy by the Jews of his day. His words spoken to the dis-ciples must have been reported to the Jewish leaders, for they arecited, albeit in a twisted way, at his trial (26:61; see also John2:18-22).

Jesus' thought here without doubt goes beyond the mere factof a material destruction the age of the old Temple, of the oldworship, is at an end; a new era has begun. Indeed, the place ofdivine revelation is now the Person of Jesus: "something greaterthan the temple is here" (Matt. 12:6). This is the interpretationwhich is explicitly given by the Fourth Gospel, but it makes clearthat the meaning of these words will be understood only afterthe Resurrection. Matthew reports only the imminent judgmentThe Temple was in fact destroyed at the time of the burning ofJerusalem in A.D. 70.The Disciples Question Jesus on the End of the World

Jesus is seated with his disciples on the Mount of Olives, op-posite the city. The judgment which he has just pronouncedtroubles the disciples. By their question, "Tell us, when willthis be . . .?" they seem to comprise in one three distinct eventsthe destruction of the Temple, the precursory signs of the comingof the Messiah, and the end of the world.

According to Jewish tradition it was on the Mount of Olivesthat God would take up his position at the last day to wage waragainst the nations and manifest his Kingship (see Zech. 14).


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MATTHEW 24:3-14 123After the apocalypse of Daniel the time of this "coming" was aconstant object of speculation. The Greek term for "arrival" or"advent" was used to describe the coming of a monarch such asCaesar, who was treated as a god. The reference here then is tothe coming of Jesus as King and Judge.From the very first Jesus puts his disciples on guard againstfalse messiahs (vss. 4-5; see vss. 23-24). We know from the his-torian Josephus that during this epoch there was a series of na-tionalistic leaders who had Messianic pretensions. The upheavalsof the years 66-70 were due to hopes of this sort. And at the timeof the insurrection hi the years 132-135 one named Bar Cochbawas identified by some as the Messiah. Jesus did not cease to puthis followers on guard against the danger of political messianism.This problem is not peculiar to Jewish messianism. It appearsanew in history under various forms each time that men claimto achieve spiritual ends by temporal force and so present them-selves as "saviors" of their nation. We are warned that manymen will be seduced by such false messiahs.To this first warning Jesus immediately adds a second thecatastrophes of history are not hi themselves evidence that theend of the world is near (vss. 6-7). Wars, famines, tremblings ofthe earth, were regarded by the prophets as warnings, as punish-ments from God. This note never ceases to resound throughoutthe Old Testament, and the Jewish apocalypses re-echo it Jesusunderlines the inevitability of crises. He certainly does not intendeither to justify war or to invite us to resign ourselves to evil. Hesimply states that in a world in revolt against God, a world ofhate and violence, such explosions are in the logic of things, andshould not trouble our faith. It will not be necessary to concludetoo quickly that the end of the world is near. We well know whysuch warning was necessary. At each war or threat of war we seepredictions of all sorts arising to trouble credulous spirits!

Jesus compares the "last times" to pangs of childbirth (vs. 8;see Isa. 26:16-21). These increase in intensity until the child isborn. Thus the adverse forces will arise with increasing violenceagainst the children of the Kingdom. We find here again thewarnings given at the time when the disciples were sent out (10:16-23) but now intensified. Some will deny their faith and be-come informers against their brothers. Hence confusion will reignin the midst of the Church itself.The term which is translated "wickedness" in verse 12 means


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124 MATTHEW 24:3-14literally "absence of law" or "violation of the law." It describesthe total anarchy which rages where no norm is any longer re-spected.

At such a time "most men's love will grow cold." Thebasic law which governs the disciples of Jesus is the love of Godand neighbor (see 22:34-40). The victory of the Cross is thevictory of God over all the forces of hate and death. But suchwill be the power of evil that many "most"! will be carriedaway by the current; they will reject the Cross. Everything whichkills the love within us and war always engenders hatred of theenemy kills the soul. The danger of persecution and injustice isnot physical death but this sort of death.

"But he who endures to the end will be saved" (vs. 13). Toendure is to hold fast; it is to observe the Word of God and counton his fidelity whatever be the unfurling and the apparent triumphof contrary forces (see Rev. 3:10-11). The possibility of fallingremains for the Christian to the very end. This is why he mustfear temptation (see Matt. 6: 13) and know that at every momentif he were abandoned to his own human strength he could onlyperish (see 24:22).Whatever be the power of evil let loose by the Adversary, thepurpose of God will nonetheless be fulfilled. The good news ofthe Kingdom, the announcement of its coming, must be pro-claimed to the ends of the earth (vs. 14). All must know themessage of salvation. Thus the proclamation of this salvation be-comes a preliminary condition to the end of the world. It is inthis sense and in this sense only that believers can "hasten" theday of the coming of the Lord (see II Peter 3:3-13).Matthew 24: 14, which is given only in this Gospel, is very im-portant because it stresses as no other the eschatological impor-tance of the missionary task entrusted by Jesus to his disciples(see also 28:18-19). We have seen earlier several times thatof all the Gospels, Matthew is the most deeply rooted in Jewishtradition; yet he is at the same time strongly missionary. In thishe is faithful to the prophetic tradition which sees Israel as thewitness of God among the nations (Gen. 12:3; Isa. 2:2-4; 49:6;52:7-10; 60:1-3). He has first shown Jesus concentrating all hisefforts on the Elect People and gathering around him the "rem-nant" on which he is going to build the New Israel of tomorrow(10:5-8; 11:20-24; 15:24; 23:37-39). He shows him now en-trusting to his disciples the evangelization of the Gentiles, open-ing the gates of the Kingdom to the whole world (see 8: 11-12).


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MATTHEW 24:15-41 125In retaining these two phases of the ministry of Jesus, Matthew,more than the other evangelists, puts his finger at the same timeon both the grandeur and the tragedy of the unique mission ofIsrael. "Salvation is from the Jews" (see John 4:22), but thissalvation embraces the world. And the rejection of it remainspossible to the end of time as much for those called tomorrowas for those called yesterday.Days of Distress and Judgment (24:15-41)

This prophecy is inspired directly by the Book of Daniel. Itseems to comprise both the ruin of Jerusalem and the end of theworld. In reality, the scene is situated in Judea (vs. 1 6) . A shock-ing sacrilege will be the sign that the hour is come. According toDaniel 9:27 and 11:31, this refers to a profanation of the Templewhere the destroyer will celebrate his idolatrous worship on thevery altar of God. The Jews kept the burning memory of thesacrilege of Antiochus Epiphanes who, after dreadful massacres,had placed the statue of Jupiter Olympus in the Temple, destroyedthe Books of the Law, and forced all the inhabitants of Jeru-salem into apostasy on pain of death (168 B.C.).The passage here announces similar events. We know in factthat in the year A.D. 38 the Emperor Caligula planned to erect hisown statue in the Temple in Jerusalem. Death alone preventedhim. In the year A.D. 70 the Emperor Titus placed a statue on thesite of the burned Temple.The expectation of an antichrist who would bring iniquity toits zenith marked the first Christian generation (see II Thess.2:3-12). The same theme is to be found again in the Revelation(Rev. 13).What should we Christians of the twentieth century retain ofthese warnings? Let it be said at the very outset that they are notto be bound to a determined chronology. The numbers which arefound in Daniel (ch. 12) and in the Revelation (Rev. 13:18)have occasioned vain speculations. Jesus himself has told us thatno one but the Father not even the Son! knows when the lasttime will come (24:36). The crises of history remind us thatGod is not mocked, that the battle between God and Satan con-tinues to the end. There are some moments when evil unfurlsitself with such force that Jesus advises his own to flee, not forfear of death but because resistance would be vain. It is up tothe Church to determine whether such a moment is come.


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126 MATTHEW 24:15-41The problem is contemporary. We have seen many an instanceof men obliged to flee their country in fidelity to their faith,whether it be Huguenots, English Puritans, or more recent ex-

amples. Jesus himself escaped from his adversaries several timesbefore his "hour" was come. The Book of the Acts shows all theChristians save the Apostles scattering at the time of a greatpersecution, and this became for them the occasion for carryingthe gospel elsewhere (Acts 8:1-5). At the time of the capture ofJerusalem in A.D. 70 the Christians fled and took refuge in Pella.The passage here is doubtless not unrelated to this event. Jesustells us not to look for martyrdom but to submit to it if Godcalls us to it It is a matter of discernment and obedience.The discourse of Matthew, like the parallel passages in Markand Luke, underlines the suddenness of the crisis which will de-mand a precipitous departure (24:17-21; see Mark 13:15-19;Luke 17:31; 21:23-24). The mention of the Sabbath in verse 20shows that among Jewish Christians, Sabbath observance hadbeen maintained; hence, they are enjoined to pray that the catas-trophe not happen on that day. The allusion to the siege of Jeru-salem is clearer in the Gospel by Luke than in the other two (seeLuke 21:24).Verse 22 stresses the fact that the final trial will be such thatno one can be sure of resisting it God, in his mercy, will shortenit so that the elect will not be tempted beyond then* strength. Hisfidelity is the only guarantee of our fidelity in the hour whentrial swoops down upon us; but his fidelity is certain (see Rom.8:31-39). Thus again the warning is accompanied by a promise.Verse 23 returns to the theme of false messiahs alreadybroached in verse 5. The characteristic mark of false prophets orfalse messiahs will be that they will imitate the actions of Christ;they will astonish the world by their power of seduction, by their"miracles," thus throwing believers themselves into uncertainty.But if the first coming of the Son of Man was secret, the secondwill assert itself with the suddenness of ligihtning. Doubt will notbe possible (see Rev. 1:7).Verse 28 is likely a recollection of a word from the Book ofJob (Job 39:27-30). Just as the piercing eye of vultures dis-cerns a dead body from afar, so the judgment will be sudden andinevitable and no one can elude it, no matter where he may be(see Luke 17:37).The judgment thus described has a cosmic significance. Even


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MATTHEW 24:15-41 127the heavens are shaken, the sun is darkened, the stars falL Thispassage draws its inspiration directly from the Old Testamentand the Jewish apocalypses. The old world is destroyed to makeroom for the New Creation (vs. 29; see Mark 13:24-25; Luke21:25-26; Isa. 13:9-13; 34:4). The Son of Man appears, ac-cording to the prophecy of Daniel (7:13-14), to judge the earthand gather the electHow is the mourning (vs. 30) which will break forth at hisappearing to be interpreted? This is the place to recall the movingprophecy of Zechariah: "And I will pour out on the house ofDavid and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassionand supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they havepierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an onlychild, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born'*(Zech. 12:10). These are tears not of despair but of repentance,"of compassion and supplication.'* Jerusalem will know "himwhom they have pierced," and "the tribes of the earth" willlament not having recognized him. But may we not believe thata spirit of compassion and supplication will descend on them tooat the last hour the hour of the great gathering of the elect?(see Rev. 1 :4-S) . The One who has come in the obscurity of theIncarnation under the figure of the crucified Servant will be re-vealed to all eyes in the brightness of his divine glory. But theglorified Christ has pierced hands (see Luke 24:39; John 20:27;Rev. 5:6). A very ancient tradition pictures the Son of Man ap-pearing in the heavens, stretching his arms above the world inthe form of a cross. The trumpet of judgment, the gathering fromthe "four winds," are classic symbols of the Last Judgment (vs.31; see Isa. 27:13; I Thess. 4:16; I Cor. 15:52; Rev. 8:2-6; Dan.7:2; Rev. 7:1-3).The parable of the Fig Tree in verses 32-33 expresses the samethought as the one on the signs of the times in 16: 1-3. Men knowhow to read the signs of nature. The young leaves on the fig treeannounce the heat of summer. Likewise, "these things" of whichJesus has just spoken are an announcement of his coming. By"these things" it is doubtless necessary to understand not so muchthe final manifestations, since they will be immediate and unfore-seeable (see vss. 27, 42), as the struggles, the persecutions, andthe seductions which precede them.The Christian knows that "the last times" have begun at thecoming of Jesus Christ into this world. However long should be


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128 MATTHEW 24:15-41the duration, we are already in the end-time, marked both by theadvent of his reign and by a stiffening of the opposition of theAdversary. The hand-to-hand combat of the sons of the Kingdomwith the powers of evil is intensifying, and each episode in thisstruggle carries in itself the marks of the final assault and tri-umph. To discern the signs of the times is to penetrate the mean-ing of current history from the standpoint of this end towardwhich it moves and which is already near; for brief is our lifeand brief the life of this world. The Christian is a man whoknows himself on the edge of eternity.Verse 34 poses a question which we have already raised severaltimes. Did Jesus believe in an imminent end of the world? Orshould the word "generation" be interpreted with a different mean-ing than that which it has in our speech? In Greek it can mean"species." If thus translated, then, the word could signify "thispeople," the Jewish people (on the term "generation" see 12:41-42; 16:4). First in the order of election, the Jewish people willlive to the day when the One whom they have rejected will bemanifested in power and glory and they will be constrained toacknowledge him (see Rom. chs. 9-11; Phil. 2:9-11). This secondinterpretation seems to be quite in accord with this Gospel (see23:39; 10:23; 26:64)."Heaven and earth," that is to say, the form of this presentworld, will pass away. But the words of Jesus will never passaway, for they have living power. Whoever believes them is borninto the life eternal (vs. 35; see Mark 13:31; John 6:63, 68).Verse 36 is very important, for it emphasizes the fact that theFather alone fixes and knows the "day and hour" of the end of theworld. The Son himself is subordinate to the Father with regardto this day; the angels are ignorant of it. How much more is itconcealed from men! Those who seek to calculate this day pretendto a knowledge which God has judged it well to keep secret. Theysuccumb to a forbidden curiosity. We would all do well to remem-ber this. Is it perhaps objected that the Gospel has just describedthe "signs" of the end? But this is done in a fashion to make ustake seriously this end as always near, as already present in thestruggles of each moment, yet nonetheless hidden.The example of Noah calls to mind the suddenness of the Judg-ment. Men ate, drank, married, as they do today, without greatconcern for the morrow. They thought no more about the Floodthan we think seriously about atomic war. For the heedlessness


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MATTHEW 24:42-51 129of men is stronger than all the warnings which both nature andhistory give us in profusion. It is this false security which theprophets continued to denounce throughout the time of the OldIsrael. And it is still this false security on the part of the religiouspeople of his time which Jesus seeks to destroy, for he regardsit as fatal. No one, he tells us, knows in advance who will be"taken" and who will be "left" of two companions in work labor-ing in the same field, or of two women at the same millstone.Only Noah was "ready" at the time of the Flood; the others wereswept away. The important thing, then, is "Watch."

"Watch Therefore" (24:4225:46)The theme "Watch" is here developed in a series of parables.All pose the same question under different forms: When the Sonof Man comes, will he find his own "ready"?

The Parable of the Thief in the Night (24:42-44)The paradoxical image which compares the coming of the Lord

to that of a thief in the night must have struck the first discipleswith singular force, for we find it in a succession of passages (seeLuke 12:39; I Thess. 5:2; Rev. 3:3; 16:15). Judaism tended toregard the coming of the Messiah as a day terrible for the pagansbut glorious for Israel. Christianity has not always escapeda similar illusion. The warning of Jesus, however, is notaddressed primarily to pagans but rather to the disciples. Thehouse is entrusted to them: do they know how to take care of it?Will they be wide-awake at the sudden irruption of the Lord whowill surprise them as a thief in the night?Parable of the Faithful or Wicked Servant (24:45-51)

The "faithful and wise" servant is a steward to whom the mas-ter has entrusted the management of his household. He is chargedwith giving out food to the servants and watching over them. Sucha role is attributed to Moses in the Old Testament. He is the serv-ant of God of whom the Lord declares: "He is entrusted with allmy house" (Num. 12:7; see Heb. 3:5-6). It is possible that inthis passage Jesus is thinking particularly of the responsibilityof his Apostles; but all Christians are "his household," his pos-session. Blessed are those whom the Master will find faithfulat the post which he has entrusted to them! He will entrust to


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130 MATTHEW 25: 1-30them all his possessions; they will take part in his reign. Butwoe to him who takes advantage of the absence of the master toabuse his power and give way to his passions. He will be con-demned with "the hypocrites." We have seen that this is the termwhich Jesus applied to the Pharisees; it describes the flagrantcontradiction between what they in reality were and what theypretended to be (23:3, 13, 15, 23, 27, 29-31). It is on the "hypo-crites" that the worst condemnation rests (23:33; see 24:51).Foolish and Wise Maidens (25:1-13)The picture is that of a wedding. The retinue of maidens pro-

vided with torches awaits the coming of the bridegroom to escortthe couple into the marriage chamber. Certain old manuscriptsmention both "the bridegroom and the bride." But the meaning ofthe parable is without doubt eschatological; the figure of thebridegroom is often applied to Christ in the New Testament (seeMatt 9:15; John 3:29; II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:6-9). Itrelates to the expectation of his return. He comes in the middleof the night. This feature recalls the preceding parables.The maidens are not blamed for being asleep. The contrast isbetween those whom the sudden call finds ready and those who arenot. In this last hour the former can no longer do anything forthe latter. In the hour of judgment each one can respond onlyfor himself. The harshness of the reply of the wise maidens isonly the assertion of a factThe oil here is a symbol of fidelity and perseverance. To be"wise" in the language of the Bible is to put all one's faith andhope in God "the righteous and the wise and their deeds are hithe hand of God" (Eccl. 9:1). The "fool," the senseless one, isthe one who does not believe in God, or who lives as though heioes not believe in God (see Ps. 14:1; 53:1-2; Eph. 5:14-16).

Jesus speaks of those whose love "will grow cold" under trial(24: 12). The Revelation mentions those who have lost their firstove and whose candle will be removed (Rev. 2:4-5). That whicharas once a brilliant light is so no longer, because of a lack of oil,md its smoking wick is almost extinguished. The first love islead, and with it dies faith.the Talents Entrusted to the Servants (25:14-30)Note first of all that each servant is given responsibilitiesinsistent with his capacities. Two of them double the capital


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132 MATTHEW 26:1-16Church and frequented the sacraments." No. He says, "I washungry and you gave me food." The "righteous" to whom hespeaks and they could well be pagans have no consciousnessof ever having done this. And then comes this sovereign word:"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you didit to me."

This has sometimes been interpreted as though the "least" herementioned were disciples. This narrows the meaning too much.Jesus identifies himself with each poor person, with each suffer-ing one, because on the cross he truly took each one's place. Hehas taken on himself the burden and the sin of all men. That iswhy he can say in very truth: what you have done to one of yourbrothers you have done to me. And inversely: what you have notdone to your brothers you have refused to do to me.Does this passage, then, present a religion of works? No, forevery act of love has its source in God, It is by such acts thatwe reveal to whom we belong, whether we are of God or of theDevil. The total teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and thewhole of Jesus' severity toward the Pharisees have already indi-cated that the children of God are recognized by the way hi whichthey practice mercy, and that it is by this fundamental attitudethat they will be judged. He who does not love may hold the mostorthodox beliefs, but he is still in death (see I John 2:9-11).This passage is no less upsetting. At the last day Jesus ac-knowledges as his own, people who have not known him but whohave, without knowing it, served him in the person of their suffer-ing neighbor. What a discovery! What a marvelous meeting!But what will he say to us who know him? How many times willwe have passed by him without recognizing him? He comes to ustinder the figure of the stranger, the refugee, the man of anotherrace, or the sorry bore. And we turn away, or treat such personswith humiliating conceit One day he will say to us: 'That wasI." Could he not then say to us: "You pretend to know me, butI do not know you"? (see 7:23).

The Passion (26:1 27:66)The Plot Against Jesus and the Deed of a Woman (26:1-16)

Jesus knows that the hour is near "after two days." It isat the Feast of the Passover that he must die. Having revealed


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MATTHEW 26:1-16 133to his disciples all that they need to know, he terminates histeaching (vs. 1). And this teaching will find its fulfillment inhis death. He is the new Passover which will be sacrificed forthe salvation of the world (see I Cor. 5:7). The evangelist iscareful to indicate by this prediction of Jesus that everythingis carried out in conformity with the plan of God. The plot whichis hatched in the darkness is set down in this plan. Everythinghappens at the appointed hour. This, however, removes nothing ofthe guilt of those who plot this death and are its immediatecause.

That this death is a denial of justice is thrown into reliefby the secret character of the deliberations of the priests andelders (vss. 3-5). They fear the reactions of the Galilean crowdswho come to Jerusalem for the feast. It is necessary that every-thing be done quickly and without their knowledge.The story of the anointing at Bethany is inserted into thatof the plot against Jesus' life like a ray of light piercing thethick darkness. We have seen that during this last week of hislife Jesus withdrew each evening to the little village of Bethany(21 : 17). The Gospels by Mark and Matthew situate the scene inthe house of "Simon the leper" (vs. 6; Mark 14:3), doubtless aman whom Jesus had healed and whose name was known. On thecontrary, the name of the woman is passed by in silence by thoserecorders (see John 12:1-8). The woman pours out her perfumeon the head of Jesus. In the thought of the evangelist, this acthas a Messianic significance. The royal anointing is given to theOne who is about to die. He is indeed "the King of the Jews" buta crucified King. Jesus himself declares that this perfume is pouredout in advance to prepare him "for burial," the burial which cus-tom refuses to executed criminals. The woman certainly does nothave knowledge of the import of her act. But at the hour whenthe Master is about to be abandoned by some and betrayed byothers, it is given to her and to her alone to witness to herfaith and love for him. The disciples immediately criticize her.What a waste! But Jesus defends and justifies her: "She has donea beautiful thing." True love does not calculate the outlay. Thiswoman has seized the unique hour which will not happen again.This act will be known "in the whole world," wherever the goodnews will be preached. From century to century, we wfll bless thememory of this woman. Does she not incarnate the faithfulChurch in the hour of supreme abandonment?


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134 MATTHEW 26:17-29"Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot" (vs.

14) thus, without transition, the Gospel leads us from the lightof faith into the darkness of treason.

gospel according to matthew the layman s bible commentary

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